When we read Revelation, we should consider the first three chapters together. The first chapter clearly depicts Christ as our High Priest, wearing the priestly robe which signifies that He is ministering of Himself and of the divine nature and life into us. If you separate this chapter from the next two, you will not easily realize that what these two chapters cover is the real priestly service. You may think that in chapters two and three the Lord is dealing with the seven churches, and not associate this with His priestly service. If you think this way, you are missing the mark. Chapters two and three show how He ministers the priestly service to us.
This ministry of the priestly service is accomplished mainly by His speaking. Christ’s heavenly priesthood is a speaking ministry. In my early Christian life I thought that Christ was in the heavens only interceding for us as our High Priest. In those years I did not see that, besides His speaking Godward to intercede, He also has a speaking which is usward. He speaks to God to intercede for us, and He speaks to us to minister the priestly service.
Christ’s speaking to us surely follows His speaking to the Father. In other words, His intercession takes place first; then by His speaking to us He continues to accomplish what He has interceded.
How busy Christ is! He is not only walking in the midst of the churches; He is also carrying on His twofold speaking, a Godward speaking and an usward speaking. He is a walking and a speaking High Priest. I used to think that Christ was seated in the heavens, but actually He is both speaking and walking as well. As I am speaking, I am busy walking at the same time. In fact, I also have a twofold speaking. On the one hand, I am addressing you; on the other hand, my inner being is also speaking to the heavenly One. What Christ intercedes for, He then speaks forth to us. Then, after He speaks to us, He again speaks to the Father. He has much to say in Revelation 2 and 3 to the seven churches; correspondingly, He has much to say to the Father for the carrying out of what He has spoken in the seven epistles. This speaking, then, goes back and forth: first to the Father, then to us, then back to the Father again. Hallelujah for our speaking High Priest!
An attorney in a law court has the job of speaking. Our Attorney is the best! He is our High Priest, the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord! He is speaking in the heavens, and He is also speaking here. As He walks among us, He speaks. Even in these messages being given here, if the speaking is genuine, it is also a part of His speaking. Surely before the speaking of these messages there was some intercession which transpired before the throne. Then after the speaking, the intercession goes on again. All this is part of the proper speaking.
It should be clear to you now that Christ’s priestly service is not only His walking in Revelation 1 but also His speaking in chapters two and three. By His walking in the midst of the churches, He gets to know the condition of each church. How could He write those seven epistles right to the point? It is because He visited all those churches. He traveled through Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Such a tour made Him thoroughly familiar with every situation. Then after His seeing, He spoke.
Even today it is the same. Our High Priest in His heavenly ministry is now walking among the churches to look into the condition of each one. Then according to what He sees, He speaks to us. This is the real priestly service. Do not think that what He is saying is doctrine. His speaking is His serving, His ministering. If you reread these seven epistles with this understanding, you will find them altogether new. Many Bible teachers use these epistles to expound doctrines, but what Christ is speaking here is not doctrinal. It is a priestly speaking.
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